U.S. State and Local Issues

Spending on Tobacco Prevention: Pennsylvania

Last updated December 05, 2012

  FY2013 FY2012
State Rank 28 27
State Spending on Tobacco Prevention $14.2 million $13.9 million
% of CDC Recommended Spending
($155.5 million)		 9.1% 9.0%

Summary: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that Pennsylvania spend $155.5 million a year to have an effective, comprehensive tobacco prevention program.  Pennsylvania currently allocates $14.2 million a year for tobacco prevention and cessation.  This is 9.1% of the CDC’s recommendation and ranks Pennsylvania 28th among the states in the funding of tobacco prevention programs.  Pennsylvania’s spending on tobacco prevention amounts to 1.0% of the estimated $1.4 billion in tobacco-generated revenue the state collects each year from settlement payments and tobacco taxes.

Background and Recent Developments: Pennsylvania’s allocation of tobacco settlement money is governed by a 2001 law that dedicated 12 percent of the state’s annual settlement payments to tobacco prevention.  Under the law, settlement funds must still be appropriated annually and the Department of Health is required to distribute 70 percent of its tobacco prevention and cessation funding to local programs and 30 percent of its funding to statewide programs.

Pennsylvania will spend $14.2 million on tobacco prevention in FY2013, slightly more than what was spent in FY2012.  While this is consistent with the amount spent in recent years, it marks a decrease from past years.  State spending over the past four fiscal years has been reduced by more than 50%.

In addition, Pennsylvania is receiving $2.9 million in federal funds dedicated to tobacco prevention and control:

  • $1.3 million from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a 12-month grant for the period beginning April 2012 (from annual appropriations).

  • $957,231 from the Prevention and Public Health Fund in the new health care reform law for the period beginning August 1, 2012. 

  • $697,042 from the Food and Drug Administration for enforcement of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, including the provision regarding tobacco sales to minors.